Jim Rice
Jim Rice (14) of the Boston Red Sox bats against the California Angels during a July 1986 game at Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim, California.
/ Photo by Getty ImagesRed Sox, 1978
.320 average, 46 home runs, 139 runs batted in
Jim Rice, who was finally inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009, was viewed by some baseball pundits as being a very good but not elite player. But anyone who witnessed his 1978 campaign would beg to differ: Rice led the majors in home runs, RBIs, hits, triples, total bases and slugging percentage - earning him the MVP award. But like Dick Allen in 1972, Rice was denied the Triple Crown because Rod Carew won one of his six batting titles that year.
